NPE2024 reports record number of young attendees, international visitors

While complete attendance numbers are still being tallied, the NPE2024 organizer is reporting that this year's show attracted a record number of young attendees.

The Plastics Industry Association reported more than 51,000 people registered to attend the show, held May 6-10 in Orlando, Fla. That likely means attendance was down about 9 percent from the last show, which was in 2018, although final figures for 2024 aren't available yet.

But show organizers are very happy in particular with the quality of visitors, the number of first-time attendees and younger people, and the number of international visitors.

"I think what we did as a staff, and with the help of the committees, is we've transformed NPE," Glenn Anderson, chief operating officer for the Washington-based Plastics Industry Association, told Plastics News in a May 16 interview.

"Unlike any prior show, we are really setting the foundation for what future NPE trade shows look like. And I'm pretty proud of that, because that was not easy to do," Anderson said.

About 30 percent of the 51,000 total were under age 40. In comparison, 28 percent were under age 45 in 2018.

About 63 percent of attendees this year were first-timers, which was up from 54 percent in 2018 and 57 percent in 2015.

Anderson knew getting young and first-time visitors was important this year.

"We recognized that, with six years between the shows, that many of those that attended in 2018 are no longer in the workforce. The 'great resignation,' COVID and aging out … it's a manufacturingwide problem. So the additional things that we did at NPE this year, that we've never done before, were targeted to attract that newer, younger audience," Anderson said.

That included its first opening-night networking reception, which sold 1,700 tickets.

"I think that was a great icebreaker for us to get people adapted to NPE, if you will," Anderson said.

Other new features included a Women in Plastics Breakfast, two keynote speeches and a slate of 100-plus educational sessions.

This year's NPE came only two weeks after another major international plastics trade show, Chinaplas 2024, which was held April 23-26 in Shanghai. Nevertheless, NPE reported a record number of global visitors, Anderson said.

NPE reported more than 15,000 international registrations from 133 countries. The number from China was down 17 percent this year, which Anderson attributed to the Chinaplas schedule.

Comparing show attendance can be tricky since not all organizers report numbers the same way, but the annual Chinaplas show is huge. Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., which runs that show, reported Chinaplas 2024 attendance of 321,879, which was up about 29 percent from the 2023 show in Shenzhen.

Despite pre-show concerns about issues getting U.S. visas, NPE visitors from India took a big jump this year, up 69 percent. Other big gains came from Italy, Brazil and Colombia, which were up 55 percent, 42 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

Mexico and Canada both posted smaller gains, up 3 percent and 1 percent, respectively, Anderson said. Germany, which had a major national holiday that started mid-week during NPE, posted a 10 percent drop.

Anderson also broke down the mix of registrants who were visitors (61 percent) vs. those who were with exhibiting companies (39 percent).

"We know from just talking to committee members that many of the exhibitors took less people than they took in 2018," Anderson said. He thinks that had a significant impact on attendance.

Anderson attributed that drop to cost cutting and the fact that many machinery companies have been experiencing slumping sales.

But very few companies canceled their exhibition plans, and because there was a waiting list, the association quickly found others to take their place.

Anderson said the feedback he got from exhibitors was all positive.

"Everybody was really happy with not only the quantity [of traffic] but also the quality, because there were decision-makers in their booths making decisions," Anderson said. "We know of multiple companies that sold machines right off the floor, and again, just a really positive vibe throughout the entire week."

Anderson said 59 percent of the people who registered to attend NPE were "decision-makers."

NPE2024 had more than 2,000 exhibitors occupying more than 1.1 million square feet of space at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center. NPE is one of the few shows that the OCCC hosts that takes all of the West and North/South buildings.

Anderson said that at a closing party for the show, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said NPE's economic impact to Orlando was over $141 million.

The next NPE is scheduled for May 3-7, 2027. The Plastics Industry Association announced in December 2023 that the show is staying in Orlando at least through 2033.